Plows for snow removal from roadways and for moving earth on construction vehicles are well-known in the art. Current plows are generally made of a single piece of material, such as steel, with components welded thereon. The plows are frequently connected to preexisting vehicles. Plows for snow and ice removal or earth moving need to be wide to allow full coverage of a road lane, runway or other open area and to maximize the plow's coverage. Such plows are produced in a single size and welded together at the factory. Different size blades are made separately and shipped separately. The size and bulk of the plows result in increased shipping costs as the plows typically must be shipped on an open flatbed. Each plow often must be packed separately or carefully laid-out on a pallet or in a container for shipping. In addition, the plow's size and bulk requires a large storage space when not in use. Thus, a significant amount of space is needed at the user's facility, the distributor's facility, and the retailer's facility when selling (inventorying) or storing when not in use. Floor space can, of course, be expensive. Because of the size and weight of steel plows, it is often difficult to store them on shelving or store them vertically.
In addition, most plows are sold in single sizes. There are some plows that have hydraulics associated with expanding or reducing their widths, but as a general rule they are made, sold, and used in single sizes. If one size is used and another size desired, the one size is removed from the vehicle and another sized plow is installed in its place. Again, apart from the costs of the separate plows, the time needed to change out one and change in another can also be considerable.
Finally, when a typical plow is damaged, a lot of time and energy must be placed into repairing the plow. Specifically, the damaged components must be cut from the plow such as by special saws and/or saw blades, or by laser/plasma cutting. Once the piece is cut-off, the new piece must be sized and welded into place. This process can take from days to weeks as the replacement parts, if available, must be ordered, received, and fitted, before welding into place.
The present invention provides an easily assembled and disassembled sectional plow that is fastened together when needed. This sectional design permits the plow to be broken down for shipping and storage, resulting in a cost and space savings as compared to a single piece plow. It also allows the sectional pieces to be stacked during shipping and for storage, resulting in reduced shipping and storage space and costs.
Further, it can be easily repaired when a component breaks and must be replaced. Spare parts or components can be stored or easily shipped. Once received, the replacement piece can be bolted on.
Unlike existing plows, the present plow is designed so that it can be bolted together and can be flexible regarding its size or width and can be sized appropriately. It can be made with a width of 8′ and easily enlarged to widths such as, but not limited to, 10′ and 12′ depending on desired use or vehicle. Accordingly, a single plow can be modular and easily extendable by purchase and assembly of relatively few additional parts/components.